There are a number of proposals for having lights incorporated in the lids or caps of containers, only a few of which have achieved commercial status. Most of the proposals have the lights pointing down into the container contents for a variety of purposes, primarily to illuminate the level of the contents in the container, for novelty, or for use of the contents to scatter light to the area on which the container is resting as a surrogate for a source of area lighting.
Examples are found in: U.S. 2011/0188229 A1 (Hernandez); U.S. Pat. No. 6,454,432 B1 (Avinger); and CN 203173075 U (Yu, 2013). Others, less pertinent, are: U.S. Pat. No. 5,311,413 A (Farmer); U.S. 2014/0071663 A1 (Callanan), see also http://www.thinkgeek.com/product/b4ad/; US 2005/0007773 A1 (Austin); U.S. Pat. No. 7,976,177 B2 (Dikopf); U.S. Pat. No. 7,740,368 B2 (Chiang); U.S. Pat. No. 7,040,776 B2 (Harrell); U.S. Pat. No. 5,178,450 A (Zelensky); and GB 2507293A (Ball, 2014).
U.S. 2014/0071663 is representative of the idea of incorporating LED lights in the lid pointing down to the container contents in order to scatter light. In its commercial embodiment, the lid includes a hanger, and the container is designed to hold potable water. See: http://www.tree-hugger.com/gadgets/self-filtering-water-bottle-also-acts-flashlight.html. When the LED lights are switched ON, the light directed into the water scatters. When the container is hung from a tent pole, the light is used to illuminate the tent. Of course, when the container is unscrewed from the lid, there is no scattered light effect, and that effect varies widely depending on the level of fluid in the container.
In many direct dispensing situations, particularly in low light or dark environments, it is important to dispense the contents of the container in a specified direction or area directly from the container without use of an intermediary tool, such as a brush or applicator wand (e.g., as in an iodine bottle). An example is dispensing liquor at bars, which normally have low ambient lighting. Another is dispensing oil or grease while doing repair work on a vehicle where overhead illumination is shielded by the hood of the vehicle. Still another example is dispensing glue while working on models. Other examples involve doing close work such as in electronics and the jewelry or watch-making trades. In those cases the worker or artisan's body shields the target area being worked-on from overhead illumination. Still another example is application of personal care products and medicaments, such as application of lubes, emollients, lotions or medications to targeted areas on the skin. In all these cases, proper illumination may be required which currently necessitates two-handed operation, one to hold a flash-light and the other to do the dispensing. However, in many cases one hand may be needed to do the dispensing and the other is otherwise occupied, such as by holding a tool, thereby not having a free hand available for also holding a light. Calling on another person is difficult, as the person working continuously has to direct the other person where to point the light, and more often the person holding the light cannot see the target area on which light is to be directed, or the worker or tool is in the way.
This need is well recognized, and the solution to date has been to provide a head-lamp or a light on the tool. Head lamps in many situations are unsuitable, require frequent adjustment as a result of aiming too high or low, interfere with head gear and may not give the target area good illumination. While lights integrated into tools are helpful, they clearly cannot be used in cases of dispensing applications.
Some cosmetics, such as lipstick, lip gloss, fingernail polish and teeth whitening gel are packaged in containers that use brushes for application. Lights have been incorporated in the brush-holder portion of the packaging to provide light at the tip of the brush when painting the cosmetic or polish. See, 2013/0176717. These applications do not involve direct dispensing from the container; rather they use an intermediary brush, wand or nozzle, and pose rather different problems.
Accordingly, there is a long felt and unmet need in the direct-from-the-container portion dispensing field for a solution to target area illumination during direct portion dispensing which frees a hand from holding a light while dispensing contents from a tube or bottle, is not interfered-with or occluded, is automatic ON/OFF, and is universally adapted to any type of direct portion dispensing container.